DECORTICATION 75 



nient tends to weaken the fibre and render it hard and brittle 

 and lacking in the spinning quality which characterises water- 

 retted fibre. The London Commercial Intelligence recently de- 

 scribed such a process, which is being tried in Australia to 

 convert flax straw which is going to waste, into good fibre. 



" Sheaves of straw are immersed in a hot neutral solution 

 for about an hour, after which they are sprayed by steam 

 force with a special solution and then with clean water. The 

 flax is then dried and the straw broken and scutched in the 

 usual manner. Each bath holds about 336 Ib. of fibre and 

 the cost of the solution in Australia does not exceed 48 cents. 

 Frequent use of the same bath somewhat darkens the fibre. 

 The light-coloured fibre can be used for many purposes without 

 further bleaching. It is claimed by the inventors that their 

 process can be carried out continuously, independent of 

 weather conditions, and also that the fibre is produced so 

 cheaply that it will ultimately to some extent take the place 

 of other fibres." 



Any real improvement in the direction of hastening the 

 retting process, in the separation of textile fibres from the 

 straw which contains them, can only be looked for by aiding 

 and not forcing natural fermentation, and at the same time 

 in keeping the fibre clean. The success of the Courtrai 

 flax trade may be attributed not only to the superior retting 

 properties of the sluggish waters of the river Lys, but also 

 to the skilful manner in which the flax is handled, and steeped 

 in crates lined with straw. 



Considerable success has recently attended the steeping of 

 flax and hemp in tanks under the Loppens and Deschwarte 

 system, and also under the Legrand patents, the straw thus 

 treated producing better fibre than the same straw treated in 

 the ordinary way. The Legrand process, as carried out near 

 Antwerp, consists in putting the straw to be retted upright in 

 an open crate, which is lowered mechanically into a tank filled 

 with water for scouring purposes, in raising and lowering the 



